Work and Disability at the Age of 30 Years: A Sociomedical Study of a Birth-cohort from Bergen IV. Economic activity, occupation, and earned income

Abstract

On the basis of interviews and data collected from various files and registers, the present study will analyse the work situation at the age of 30 years related to the type of school attended at age 14 years. The study is based on a cohort of 1570 persons, all live births in the year 1940 of mothers then residing in Bergen. A sample was taken after stratification of the cohort according to type of school attended at age 14 years. This sample was supplemented with persons who had attended Special Schools for the educable mentally retarded (EMR) and with persons who had received care from the national services for the mentally retarded (SMR). The final sample consisted of 262 persons. An association is found between economic activity, occupation, and earned income at the age of 30 years and type of school attended at age 14 years. Former pupils of Special Schools for the educable mentally retarded clearly belong to a marginal group, as regards “self-support”. Former pupils of Elementary School classes for slow learners are also a high-risk group concerning the development of work-insufficiency.